WO1992003185A1

WO1992003185A1 - Electronic device for smoothing dysfunctions of the central nervous system in conjunction with the use of biomagnetometer

Info

Publication number: WO1992003185A1
Application number: PCT/GR1991/000011
Authority: WO
Inventors: Photios Anninos; Nicolaos Tsagas; Panagiotis Koutsikos
Original assignee: Photios Anninos; Nicolaos Tsagas; Panagiotis Koutsikos
Priority date: 1990-08-24
Filing date: 1991-07-25
Publication date: 1992-03-05
Also published as: CA2069890A1; EP0497933A1; AU8197691A; CA2069890C; EP0497933B1; GR900100630A

Abstract

A device for smoothing epileptic foci and seizures consists of one or more generators (4) of alternating low voltage at a given frequency from 2-7 Hz, which supply a given number of selected coils (1) from one or more groups of similar coils properly arranged. These coils are supplied by a current whose form, amplitude and frequency are controlled by a microprocessor (5). The currents in the coils (1) generate magnetic fields which have similar characteristics to the magnetic fields emitted by the epileptic foci. The characteristics (frequencies, power, amplitudes and coordinates) of those fields are determined with the help of a biomagnetometer (SQUID) and a proper software for data analysis. The data are processed by the microprocessor (5). A second microprocessor (6) controls the general operation of the device.

Description

Electronic device for smoothing dysfunctions of the central nervous system in conjunction with the use of Biomagnetometer

The present invention referred to the electronic device for smoothing dysfunctions of the central nervous system with the use of the Biomagnetometer consisting either from a generator of alternating voltage of low frequency which can produce a given frequency from 2 to 7 Hz and which supplies a given number of selected coils from one group or mofef gro- ups of similar coils for the production of alternating magne¬ tic fields the intensity of which is regulated from micro¬ processors, or from generators of alternating voltage of low frequency which can produce each one its own frequency from 2 to 7 Hz and which supply simultaneously a definite number of selected coils for the production of alternating magnetic fields of regulated intensity and frequency from micropro¬ cessors. The magnetic fields which are simultaneously produ¬ ced from the coils must be parallel to the alternating mag¬ netic fields which are emitted from the epileptic foci of the brain. The power spectra and frequencies of the emitted magnetic fields of the coils are of the order of the magne¬ tic fields which are emmited from the epileptic foci, that is from 0.5 pT to 7.5 pT. The limit of the intensities can be extended. Satisfactory results can be obtained using 64 of similar coils as is the number of the measuring points in the left and right brain hemispheres. It is clear that first we should localize the epileptic foci with the help of the SQUID. The present device for smoothing epileptic foci is adjusted with the use of the SQUID which gives all the cha- racteristics of the epileptic foci or any other brain mal¬ function. Thus the first step is to localize the epileptic foci with the use of the SQUID and after to adjust properly the electronic device of the present invention according to the characteristics properties of the localized epileptic foci.

Prior to the present innovation were the previous publicati¬ ons by the innovators P.A.Anninos and K.F.Tsagas (Brain re-

^'SUBSTITUTE SHEET? search Bulletin, Vol.16,1986, International Journal of Neu- roscience Vol.37, 1987) . The device, according to the present invention, has the characteristic point that solves the pro¬ blem of smoothing the epileptic foci or any other dysfuncti- - ons of the central nervous system without the use of the in¬ vasive methods. It is perfectly safe because the applied al¬ ternating magnetic fields are of low frequency (2-7 Hz) and low intensity from 0.5 pT-7.5 pT. This problem was solved with the use either of one generator of low alternating vol- - tage and frequency which can produce a given frequency from 2-7 Hz and which supplies a given number of selected coils for the production of alternating magnetic fields of which the intensity and frequency are regulated by microprocessors or from generators of low alternating voltage and frequency 5 which can produce each one its own frequency from 2-7 Hz and which can supply simultaneously a given number of selected coils for the production of alternating magnetic fields of which the intensity and frequency are adjusted with the help of microprocessors. The device is activated with the neces- 0 _Sary characteristic elements of the epileptic foci, which we obtained with the use of the biomagnetometer SQUID, and which are properly stored in one integrated circuit of one microprocessor. The proper storage of the above data is do¬ ne with the help of a proper SOFTWARE which is written in 5 basic computer language invented by the first two inventors. With this computer program we read the data which are stor¬ ed in the computer disk or diskette during the analysis of the data which we have recorded from the epileptic foci of a patient with the help of the SQUID for all the 64 or 128 ° points of skull. These data are stored with the above soft¬ ware program in one matrix with three columns where in the first column we store the left temporal or occipital or fro¬ ntal points where as in the other two columns we store the frequencies and intensities of the fields which are emitted 5 from each point. The same thing occurs for the right tempo¬ ral, occipital and frontal regions of the skull. The corre¬ spondence between the points it is seen in the table A and

SUBSTITUTE SHEET and figure 1. With the above microprocessor placed in the e- lectronic device for smoothing is acco plissed its activati¬ on with a result that every coil to emit an alternating squ¬ are wave magnetic field of a given frequency and intensity as it is seen in figure 2. The figures were obtained by che¬ cking every one coil with the help of the SQUID, so that we get first the wave form of the emitted magnetic field (figu¬ re 2a) and the corresponding power spectrum (figure 2b) whi¬ ch gives the fundamental frequency which is emitted from the - coil and which must be the same with the frequency and pow¬ er of the magnetic field which is emitted from the epilep¬ tic focus of the corresponded measured point as it is sto¬ red in the diskette.

The advantage of this method over the keyboard which would required in order to keyboard the data of the epileptic fo¬ ci and to store them it is very clear since we don't have the human factor which otherwise could result in fault sto¬ rage of the above characteristic of epileptic foci and fur¬ thermore the storage is made faster depending on the compu- ter running time of the SOFTWARE which was invented by the first two inventors.

One way of applying the electronic invention is described below by reffering to the figures which are with it and whi- ch they explain with clarity and technicaldetails for under¬ standing and avoidneεε of any misunderstanding. The figure 1 of the invention gives the tables for the arrangement of the 32 measured points with the help of the Biomagnetometer of the left and right temporal hemisphere respectively as well as the reference points T3 and T4 respectively. The sa¬ me arrangment of the points is done for the measurements of frontal and occipital hemispheres.

The figure 2a of the invention gives the waveform of the ma¬ gnetic field which is emitted from one of the 64 coils of the electronic device of the present invention for the time interval of one second as it is recorded by the Biomagneto¬ meter. As it is seen from the figure the frequency of the emitted magnetic field is 8 Hz. The figure 2b of the present

SUBSTITUTE SHEET invention gives the power spectrum of the wave form given in figure 2a from which it is seen its power amplitude'land fre¬ quency which is emitted from one of the 64 coils as it is re¬ corded from the Biomagnetometer. The figure 3 of the invent- ion gives the spiral form and the arrangement of the 32 co¬ ils which are used for each hemisphere for smoothing of epi¬ leptic foci. The coils consist from flexible metal or alloy of proper specific resistance and are printed in a flexible plate of proper flexible resistant eterial. The figure 4 of the invention gives the assembly circuit of the spiral coil (1) which is one of the coils of the flexible plate with the printed coils in figure 3. The resistance (2) of the circuit can take the aproxi ate value of 100 kΩ. The circuit inclu¬ des a contact-breaker sensor (3) of the circuit which acti- vates an alarm-system. The number of the above circuits is defined by the number of the coils that is mxn where (m) is the number of the printed coils in a plate which can be less, equal or more than 32 and (n) is the number of the plates which can be less equal or more than 4. The circuit is sup- plied with alternative current of square wave or some other wave form (4) which is controled by a microprocessor (5) and this microprocessor controls and all the other coils. Also the microprocessor (5) selects and energizes all the nearest coils to the epileptic foci. These coils will be supplied by the alternative current of which all the chara¬ cteristics like wave form, amplitude and frequency are con¬ troled by the microprocessor (5) . The second microprocessor (6) controls the first microprocessor (5) and general it controls the normal operation of the device. In Fig.5 of the invention, the block diagram of one of the 64 identical stages used in the electronic system is shown. Each one of these stages generates a pulse train of specific frequency and amplitude, which drives one of the coils. All the stages are connected to the clock input (11) and to the data bus (12) of the microprocessor (5) ..Each one of the 64 identical stages is connected to a dedicated enable line (16) . The description of the operation is as folov^s: as soon as one enable line (16) of the above 64 identical stages, is driven in low logic level under the control of the icropro-

SUBSTITUTE SHEET cessor (5), the data from the data bus (12) which is 8 bit long is latched in the corresponding latch (13) until a new enable signal takes place. These 8 bits determine the frequ¬ ency and the amplitude of the pulses of the specific stage. The first four bits are fed through the connection (1 ) to the programmable frequency divider (10). These bits determin how much the pulse rate (frequency) is to be reduced. Next t this a fixed divider reduces the pulse rate further more by a fixed frequency division (9). Up to this point the ampli- tude of the pulses remains unchanged. Stage (8) is a program¬ mable gain amplifier which defines the final amplitude of the pulses. The rest 4 bits which are latched from the data bus of the microprocessor are used for this purpose. In the same manner the frequency and the amplitude of all the 64 stages is defined. The stages can be less, equal or more than 64.

The table A gives the way by which are recorded the characte¬ ristics of each point which correspond in one epileptic foci and which are stored in one integreated circuit of micropro- cesεor which energizes the electronic device for the magne¬ tic smoothing of epileptic foci. The left and the right part of this table gives the points of the left and right hemisphe¬ re of the brain respectively. The symbols pt. , B(PT), Hz represent the points which measured on the patient skull, the amplitudes of the power spectrum in PT and their frequ¬ encies for the smoothing of the epileptic foci.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET ^•~~

Claims

Clai s

1. The present electronic device, for the smoothing of dys¬ functions of central nervous system in conjuction with the 5 biomagnetometer SQUID, consists of either of one generator of regulating alternating low voltage which produces a given fre¬ quency from 2-7Hz and which supplies a definite number of se¬ lected coils of one group or more groups of similar coils pro¬ perly arranged to produce alternating magnetic fields of squ- - are wave form of which the intensity and frequency are regu¬ lated from microprocessors or from generators of alternating regulated low voltage which produce each one its own frequen¬ cy from 2-7Hz and which supply simultaneously a definite nu¬ mber of selected coils of one or more groups of similar coils properly arranged in series which produce alternating magne¬ tic fields of square wave form of which the intensity and frequency are regulated from microprocessors. These magnetic fields have similar characteristics with the emitted alter¬ nating magnetic fields of the epileptic foci which are deter- 0 mined with all charactristicε of frequencies, power amplitu¬ des and coordinates which are produced with the help of the biomagnetometer SQUID for the disorganization of neuronal generators which emit a resonated magnetic energy from the epileptic foci.

2. The present electronic device for the smoothing of dysfun_¬ ctions of the central nervous system in conjunction with the biomagnetometer SQUID according to the claim 1 is characteri_¬ zed from that it can have one microprocessor which is used for the storage of the characteristic data which are read with the help of a proper software from one diskette during the epileptic foci diagnosiε of a patient with the help of the SQUID.

3. The present electronic device for smoothing dysfunctionε of the central nervous system in conjunction with the bioma_¬ gnetometer SQUID according to the claims 1 and 2 is chara¬ cterized from that the effectiveness of the invention func-

SUBSΗTUTE SHEET tion is based to the necessity to use the biomagnetometer SQUID, at least in the first smoothing of the patient during which time is done the first calibration of the electronic device. The points which form one point matrix of rectangle 5 shape (gigure 1 ) are placed around the reference points of the 10-20 international point system for electrode place¬ ment. The reference points are T3, T , P3, P4, F3 and F4 for left or right temporal hemisphere, left or right occipital and left or right frontal brain regions respectively. The 32 ° points are placed with one self adhesive etikete on a plas¬ tic hat which is placed on the skull of the patient in which prior have been defined the reference points. The 32 points which are equally spaced by 1.5 cm as we sta¬ ted above are placed in perfectly defined positions on the skull with the help of self adhesive etikete if we have de¬ fined previously the coordinates of the reference points that is if we know the coordinates of the reference points then we know also the coordinates of all 32 points of the map and therefore we know the coordinates of the epileptic foci. After we place the SQUID sensor 3 mm above each measu¬ ring point we take 32 consecutive records of 1 sec duration each from each point and we digitize with sampling frequency of 256 Hz. Then we do Fourier statistical analysiε in order to find the power εpectruπr of the magnetic amplitude distri- bution for a given frequency or a given grange of frequenc¬ ies with the help of electronic computer techniques we can connect all equal power spectra amplitudes for a given fre¬ quency or a given frequency domain so that to construct maps which are called ISO-SA maps. From these maps and from the density of the ISO contour lines we can infer conclusions if there are epileptic foci and also the coordinates and the εpectra power amplitudes of the epileptic foci. Finally from this analysis, once we have localize the epile¬ ptic foci with the help of spectral analysis, we can find the frequency of the magnetic field emitted from each epile¬ ptic foci. These data are stored in one computer diskette from which with a proper software are stored in one micro-

SUBSTITUTE SHEET processor by which it is possible to energize the electronic device for smoothing in order to emit back alternating magn¬ etic fields of similar characteristics with those which emitted from the epileptic foci. Thus it is seem that the device is completely related with the measurements of the SQUID which is necessary for the calibration of the electro¬ nic device of the present invention. With the smoothing of the described electronic device we accomblish in a direct and on invasive manner the smoothing of the epileptic foci.

4. The present device for smoothing dysfunctions of the cen¬ tral nervous system according to the claims 1,2 and 3 lis characterizediErcm that the smoothing disappearance of epile¬ ptic foci with the help of microprocessor and the software does not come the human factor for the data transfering from the diskette to the microprocessor and therefore we avoid errors and simultaneously we gain time because the data tra~ nsfering is accomplished with the computer system speed that we use. The smoothing and the cancellation of epileptic foci remains for several days or monthε and iε due to the fact that with the influence of the external varying magnetic fi¬ eld we induce inhibitory potential in the neuron synapses in the brain regions where we apply the described electronic device.

5. The present device for the smoothing of the cenrtal Ner¬ vous System dysfunctions according to the claims 1, 2, 3 and 4 consists of a great number of circuits mxn, where (m) is the number of spiral coils made by flexible metal or alloy which are printed on (n) plates made by appropriate flexi¬ ble material of great strength. The number (m) can be less, equal or more than 32 and the number (n) can be less equal or more than 4. Each one of the above circuits consists of a spiral coil (1) of which one end is earthed and the other end is conec ed with an alternative current generator (4) through a resistor (2) and one contact-breaker sensor (3) which activates an alarm system. All the circuits are cont-

SUBSTITUTE SHEET roled by one microprocessor (5) which selects and energizes all the nearest coils to the epileptic foci. These coils will be supplied with the alternative current which has all the appropriate characteristics like square or any other wave form amplitude and frequency which have found emitted from the epileptic foci using the biomagnetometer. All these cha¬ racteristics are controled by the microprocessor (5) .

6. The present device for the smoothing of the central Ner- vous System dysfunctions according to the claim 1,2,3,4 and 5 is characterized by the fact that in the electronic device of the invention there is a second integrated circuit of a microprocessor (6) which controls the first microprocessor (5) so that to give an alternative current of appropriate waveform, amplitude and frequency to the appropriate sele¬ ctive coils which are nearest to the epileptic foci and the¬ refore to generate the appropriate alternative magnetic fie¬ lds. Also the second microprocessor controls any faults of the device and the appropriate selection of the coils which muεt be εupplied by the appropriate alternative current.

7. The present device for the smoothing of the Central Ner¬ vous System dysfuctions according to the claims 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 is characterized by the fact that there is the posεi- bility of individual frequency and amplitude setting for each pulse train of each spiral coil which is implemented using a programmable frequency divider (10) and a program¬ mable gain analogue amplifier (8) .

SUBSTITUTE SHEET